I had the privilege of doing my first field experience at Mendoza Elementary School </A>in Mesa. There I got a glimpse of being a teacher in a fourth grade classroom. While I was in the classroom, I noticed three specific qualities that the teacher possessed. First of all, she was patient. When the children would get talkative, she would simply stop talking and wait for the class to quiet down. The children responded to this in a positive manner. Second of all, she was a hard worker. Whenever she had a so-called break she always had things to do. For instance, she would make copies of assignments, grade papers, or make lesson plans for the following week. She always had something that needed to be done. Thirdly, it was apparent that she cared for her students. When she was grading spelling tests, while the children were at recess, she noticed one boy received a low score. She looked sad, and told me that every time a student does not achieve excellence it saddens her. Plus, she would spend extra time helping struggling students on their assignments. Also, she would always have a smile on her face when in the presence of her students. This may seem like a simple gesture, but it makes a huge difference on the mood created in the classroom. The last quality that I noticed was that she had a sense of humor. I believe this is an important quality for a teacher to posses because it engages the children in the learning process. Her students were always alert and ready to learn. Plus, it was demonstrated to me that the students really wanted to be in the classroom. In short, these qualities that this teacher possessed, in my opinion, are necessary to becoming an effective teacher. I hope that I will posses these same qualities so my classroom will function as the one that I saw at Mendoza.
I had the opportunity to observe seventh-and eighth-grade classes at Greenfield Junior High. I enjoyed seeing how it feels to be the teacher in a Junior High setting. I went to three eighth-grade Language Arts classes and five-seventh grade Language Arts classes. Each teacher helped me understand teaching at a junior high level. All the experiences I had were worthwhile, but my favorite experience was in a seventh grade class. The teacher and I got along very well, and our personalities seemed to match. The students were writing poems using onomatopoeia methods, methods that made the poems tongue twisters. I was allowed to go around the room and help the students think of funny poems. I enjoyed interacting with the students, and this idea of creating poems using unusual techniques is something I will do in my future classroom. This was a wonderful school to observe at, and I am glad I had this twelve-hour experience.
On October 24th I was able to participate in a Halloween craft Party at a Boys and Girls Club. At this craft party, we performed various art projects with the children. At my station we made wacky spider webs and wacky spiders. We gave each of the children a piece of black paper, a cardboard box, and a marble covered in white paint. The children got to place their paper in the box, and drop the painted marble on the paper. The kids then moved the marble across the black paper while holding on to the edges of the box. This technique created their wacky spider webs! Next, they made a spider out of gray, shiny paper, and bright orange fabric for the legs. It was enjoyable assisting the children in this art project, and it was rewarding to watch their smiling faces feel accomplished with this activity. Another activity I participated in was a Fall Festival on Halloween night. All of the volunteers as well as participants dressed up in various Halloween costumes. Dressing up as a baseball player was only half of the fun! I also was in charge of a blow-up bungee jump game. Basically the children get buckled in to a life-jacket with a bungee cord attached. While standing on a blow-up alley, the kids run as fast as they can forward. The idea is that the bungee cord restricts them from running really far, and eventually it repels them backwards where they fall on the padded alley. This was a favorite activity of the participants, and I was in a constant state of laughter. It was entertaining to watch the children enjoy themselves on Halloween night in a safe environment that this event created. Both of these events were a joy to take part in, and they are events that I will always remember doing.
I have had the opportunity and privilege of completing twenty hours of field experience at Blackwater Elementary School</FONT>. Because the majority of this school was Native American, it gave me the opportunity to learn and understand the Native American culture. I was also involved in various activities that will help me as a future teacher. Among the many activities I participated in, I enjoyed assisting in science experiments, communicating on an informal level during recess by playing kickball, tetherball, and football, and helping the students practice for their end of the year play. This positive experience has encouraged me to consider all my career options, and confirmed my decision to be an educator. </FONT>
Service learning this semester was different than my previous experiences. It was different because instead of being in a traditional classroom, I was able to spend twenty hours at Falcon Hill Elementary School observing in a computer lab. This was a great opportunity because I was able to see multiple grade levels instead of one solitary grade level. Also, it gave me the privilege of watching how teachers integrate technology into the curriculum. For example, the fourth grade made PowerPoint presentations about insects, which was their focus of study in science. In addition, not only did I observe these things, but I was also able to assist the lab tech and teachers with other programs such as Excel, PowerPoint, and AR reading. I also had the privilege of presenting a WebQuest I had created to a third grade class. This was the first time I had ever taught an entire lesson for thirty minutes. It was great because it gave me insight on what my future student teaching will be like. Lastly, I was able to have multiple conversations with the lab assistant, which strengthened my understanding of computers and its terminology. Even though this was a different experience than my previous service learning sites, I still benefited greatly from it and enjoyed my time spent at this wonderful technology focused school.
What do students do after school? Well, although I cannot answer this question for all students, I can tell you what students who attend the Boys and Girls Club in Chandler do. For eight hours, and on two seperate days, I have had the opportunity to work with students at this after-school program. I have done many things and seen wonderful ways to keep students busy and safe after school. First of all, I was able to help in the homework room. Students who have homework can go in the homework room for at least one hour and complete assignments from school. Plus, if they need assistance a staff member is available. Personally, I was able to help a young child on a book report, and I assisted a fifth grader with math homework. Secondly, this club has two rooms full of technology. I participated in a puppet show while a student filmed the entire production on a digital camera. Then, I watched as various students played educational games on the computers. Games such as Zoo Tycoon, Gadgets and Such, plus more teach while they entertain. I was excited to see students of all ages using technology. Finally, I was able to see the game room and the gymnasium. The game room consists of a foose ball table, air hockey table, and two pool tables. Students can come to the gameroom and just have some good old fashioned fun! In the gymnasium, students can stay physically fit by playing basketball, hockey, ect... All in all, I enjoyed my time at the Boys and Girls Club in Chandler. This well rounded program is great for students of all ages.
To complete my service learning at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, I completed twenty hours at Power Ranch Elementary School. All of my time was spent in a fourth grade setting. The first event I took part in was an Arizona BBQ to commemorate Arizona's birthday on February 14. Then, I was able to informally interact with the students by playing basketball and kickball. While in the classroom, I was able to plan and deliver two literature lessons. This experience allowed me to practice "being the teacher." I was also able to discuss various aspects of teaching with my mentor teacher and take the students to their various specials such as computer lab and music class. In addition, I assisted the teacher with math, science, and history lessons. The best aspect, in my opinion, was how willing my mentor teacher was to answer all of my questions and help me in becoming the best teacher I can. My mentor teacher gave me copies of handouts, activities, and lesson plan ideas to put in safe keeping so that I have a few ideas when the time to teach comes upon me. All of my service learning experiences have been positive, and this school and classroom was no exception.
http://studentweb.cgc.maricopa.edu/s/ku/skuglin23/grjhsbear.jpg
http://www.mpsaz.org/mendoza/
http://www.mpsaz.org/falcon/
http://www.husd.org/
http://www.clubzona.org/
Two Personal Photos
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